Daniel Le[ – „Maramure[ul nu î[i pierde doarpor]ile, î[i pierde identitatea! / Maramure[ is losing not only its gates but also its identity!”

Daniel Le[, foto: © Gabriel Motic\

DanieLLe[

Satul românesc sufer\, nu mai e doar sat f\r\ câini, acum e [i f\r\ oameni. Cât de greu e s\ fii p\str\tor al tradi]iilor unei lumi care dispare?

Din ce în ce mai greu. Ca s\ îl p\str\m, ar trebui s\ ]inem cont de cumin]enia lui [i de oamenii care [i-au dus o rânduiala în tihn\. Satul este amenin]at de un t\v\lug numit consumerism. Vrem totul de-a gata! Casele nu se mai fac dup\ rânduial\, lemnul nu se mai taie iarna pe lun\ plin\... ne-au invadat rigipsul, inoxul [i col]arele, totul e drept... ori, casa satului românesc era în armonie cu natura, avea forme organice netezite cu mâna. O cas\ era folosit\ de dou\-trei genera]ii... ast\zi avem camere mari în care ne pierdem.

Leg\tura mea cu p\mântul. M-am n\scut într-un sat plin de via]\, la Tulghe[, lâng\ Mihe[u Mare. Cineva spunea c\ e nevoie de un sat ca s\ cre[ti un copil!

Eu am crescut într-un sat cu „rânduial\” [i cu oameni care au [tiut s\ p\streze tradi]iile. Vecinii erau prieteni între ei, se ajutau între ei, mai demult, dac\ î]i murea o vac\, tot satul punea bani [i î]i cump\ra o alt\ vac\. Ori, ast\zi, avem bani, dar am devenit mai r\i. L\comia este un virus mai puternic decât Covidul! Maramure[ul î[i pierde por]ile, sunt înlocuite cu prefabricate din o]el [i beton, casele acoperite cu [i]\ [i paie sunt înlocuite cu cele modulare. Putem opri declinul, cât de pu]in?

Maramure[ul nu î[i pierde doar por]ile, î[i pierde identitatea! Eu în]eleg c\ avem o criz\ de identitate [i vrem [i noi „s\ fim în rând cu lumea”, „s\ ne punem gresie în baie”, dar nu pân\ într-atât încât s\ ne arunc\m por]ile [i c\m\[ile pe care e scris\ istoria Maramure[ului. Pe toate împuns\turile de pe c\m\[ile de cânep\ este istoria noastr\. Vin italienii s\ duc\ por]ile noastre din Maramure[ pentru a face

„Maramure[ul nu î[i pierde doar por]ile, î[i pierde identitatea! Maramure[ is losing not only its gates but also its identity!”

din ele elemente decorative la cl\dirile lor, iar noi le vindem pe bani m\run]i. Sau, [i mai r\u, s-au vândut case de prin 1700, din care s-a f\cut parchet. Maramure[ul trece printr-o perioad\ critic\ din cauza conduc\torilor.

Toat\ lumea vine cu proiecte europene. Dar satul românesc nu a fost ]inut cu proiecte europene, a fost ]inut cu „rânduial\”! Dac\ noi ne-am trezi în al XII-lea ceas [i i-am proteja pe cei care înc\ mai au aceste por]i [i aceste case, s\-i scutim, cel pu]in, de impozite, tot ar fi ceva. }\ranul are nevoie s\ fie b\gat în seam\, are nevoie s\ fie dat de bun exemplu. Romanian villages are wasting away, with fewer and fewer people living in rural areas. How hard is it to be the keeper of a world that is disappearing each day?

It is getting harder and harder. To preserve them we should acknowledge the modesty and the good behavior of the people who have lived there. The village is threatened by a steamroller named consumerism. We expect everything to be handed to us ready-made! When building houses they don’t respect the traditions anymore, wood is no longer chopped on a Winter night with full moon. We have been invaded by plasterboard, inox and edgings, everything is perfectly straight… But village houses were in harmony with nature, with organic forms built by hand. A house used to be a home for 3 generations… Today we get lost because the rooms are so big.

I was born in a village full of life, in Tulghes, near Mihesu Mare. Someone said that it takes a village to raise a child!

I grew up in a village where customs were followed and where people knew how to maintain traditions. The neighbours were friends with each other, they helped each other. A while ago, if your cow died, the villagers would raise money and buy you another one. Today we have money, but we have become meaner. Greed is a virus more powerful than Covid.

Maramure[ is losing its traditional gates, they are being replaced with prefabricated elements made from steel and concrete, the straw-bale houses are being replaced with modular ones. Can we stop this decay, at all?

Maramure[ is losing not only its gates but also its identity! I understand we are undergoing an identity crisis and we want to get in line, we want to have tiles in the bathroom, but we should not go as far as throwing away the gates and the traditional shirts on which the history of Maramure[ is written. On every poke of the sewing needle on our hemp shirts lies written our history. The Italians come to take our gates from Maramure[ to use them as decorative elements for their own build-

„Nu noi suntem cei care vom salva satul românesc, satul ne va salva pe noi!

Ori, moda acum e cu borduri [i asfalt. Sunt foarte sup\rat pe cei care ar trebui s\ aib\ grij\ de istoria noastr\. În locul c\m\[ilor ]esute manual au ap\rut tot felul de chinez\rii. Lelea Florica cosea o c\ma[\ în doi ani, iar ma[ina chinezeasc\ o face în câteva minute. În timp ce cosea, lelea Florica le spunea nepo]ilor pove[ti. Nepo]ii cre[teau cu aceast\ imagine. Conexiunea dintre bunic\ [i nepot a disp\rut. Nu mai cârpim c\m\[ile vechi, le arunc\m. Dac\ nu [tim s\ coasem, s\ repar\m ce e stricat, vom ajunge s\ înlocuim [i partenerul de via]\. De aceea vedem oameni neferici]i, care alearg\ dup\ „sclipiciuri”, care nu se mai satur\!

Mai avem înc\ por]i, mai avem înc\ case, mai avem înc\ rânduial\. Dar trebuie s\ ne trezim! {i m\ rog la Dumnezeu s\ nu ne smintim! S\ p\str\m ce am primit de la bunicii no[tri. Avem bani, dar suntem atât de s\raci încât, în afar\ de bani, nu mai avem nimic.

Ini]iativele private, conservatorii de patrimoniu nu reu[esc s\ opreasc\ falsificarea satului românesc. Târgurile se umplu de plastic [i chinez\rii, politicienii î[i aduc aminte de el doar la alegeri. Ce putem face cu statul român?

Suntem f\r\ putere în fa]a acestui t\v\lug care ne calc\ tradi]iile în picioare. Pentru a fi o voce, „talpa ]\rii” ar trebui s\ se organizeze în asocia]ii. În mod special bresla[ii. S\ nu ne mai l\s\m p\c\li]i la târgurile de turism, s\ stam cu mâna întins\ pentru dou\-trei pixuri, o map\ [i un ecuson în piept. F\r\ me[terul autentic [i f\r\ ]\ranul care a muncit cu mâinile lui p\mântul nu se poate face turism rural. Acest tip de turism trebuie împletit cu jocurile noastre, cu mânc\rurile noastre, cu b\uturile noastre. Dac\ reu[im s\ ne adun\m câ]iva, s\ fim cu adev\rat o voce, s\ ne organiz\m într-o asocia]ie... Ne mint (n.r. autorit\]ile) în fa]\ în fiecare an. Ajung la putere oameni care nu se mai satur\ de faim\ [i de bani. {i aici e toat\ problema. Aici e marea dram\. Ne l\s\m c\lca]i pe cap, iar copiii no[tri, nepo]ii no[tri pierd. Ce ne facem cu copiii no[tri care sunt bombarda]i cu imaginea prelucrat\ vizual? Aceast\ informa]ie trucat\ le distruge creativitatea! Sunt copii care vin în tabere la mine [i nu se [tiu juca. {tiu s\ comenteze doar pe „dr\c\rii”, s\ trimit\ mesaje pe telefoane.

E[ti artist. Actul creator stimuleaz\ orgoliul, dar cantitatea difer\ de la un artist la altul. Care este cel mai mare orgoliu al t\u?

A[ vrea s\ scap de ele pentru c\ nu îmi fac bine! Orgoliile î]i pot face r\u dac\ nu sunt cu m\sur\! Am orgoliul ]\ranului uitat într-un col] de sat, care a muncit o via]\ întreag\ cu mâinile lui, al acelui ]\ran care trude[te în continuare [i care crede c\ ro[iile române[ti sunt bune, care mai crede c\ laptele nostru este bun [i c\ ou\le noastre sunt bune. Sunt acei oameni pe care lumea nu îi bag\ în seam\ [i care î[i cînt\ „horele cu noduri”, plângând pe câmp, sunt oameni care se bucur\ din plin de via]a pe care o tr\iesc simplu.

A[ vrea s\ m\ asem\n din ce în ce mai mult cu ace[ti oameni, a[ vrea s\ nu mai am orgolii personale!

Vorbe[ti mereu despre faptul c\ mo[tenirea pe care trebuie s\ o dea un p\rinte copilului s\u este educa]ia. Cum vezi [coala româneasc\? }i-ar fi pl\cut s\ fii dasc\l?

Vrând-nevrând sunt dasc\l. 500 de copii îmi calc\ pragul în fiecare an. Dar eu cred mai mult în ucenicie decât în înv\]\mântul românesc de ast\zi! Cu riscul de a fi acuzat de naivitate, eu cred c\ ucenicia este cea care te pune pe picioare [i te face „b\rbat”.

Eu am avut ocazia s\ stau lâng\ mai mul]i me[teri olari [i acum îmi dau seama c\ a fost cea mai bun\ metod\ de a m\ educa. Am înv\]at s\ m\tur pe jos, s\ fr\mânt lutul, s\-l pun pe roat\ [i, apoi, s\-l ard. Am înv\]at s\ am r\bdare, am înv\]at c\ dac\ vreau s\ am trebuie s\ muncesc.

Ori, înv\]\mîntul de ast\zi a r\mas în comunism, iar gre[elile se subliniaz\ „cu ro[u”. Ne înva]\ lucruri de care nu avem nevoie [i nici m\car nu ne înva]\ s\ muncim. Se dau diplome pe band\ rulant\, eu nu m\ pot l\uda cu o diplom\ de studii superioare, dar am ucenicia pe care am facut-o de la [apte ani.

Înv\]\m câte ceva de la fiecare persoan\ pe care o întâlnim. Ce ai înv\]at de la concet\]enii t\i care acum compun diaspora român\? ings, and we are selling them for nothing. Even worse, we’ve sold houses dating back to 1700, from which they made parquetry. Maramure[ is going through a critical period because of our rulers.

Everyone is talking about EU-funded projects. But the Romanian villages were not built with EU funds. They were born from custom and tradition. If we would wake up in the eleventh hour and protect those who still have these gates and these houses, at the very least, introducing tax exemptions for them, it would still be better than nothing. Peasants need attention, we need to look up to them as exemplars. But the trend now is to lay more kerbs and asphalt. I’m very disappointed with those who are supposed to be looking after our history. Handcrafted shirts have been now replaced by Chinese productions. Auntie Anne needed two years to sew a shirt, but the Chinese machine can do it in a couple of minutes. While sewing, Auntie Anne would tell stories to her nephews. Nephews used to grow up with this image. The grandmother-nephew connection has disappeared. We don’t patch up old shirts anymore. We throw them away. If we can’t sew, if we can’t patch up what’s broke, we’ll get to replacing our significant other soon enough. This is why we see unhappy people, running after “glitter”, people who just can’t be satisfied.

We still have gates, houses, we still have customs. But we must wake up! And I pray to God that we don’t go mad. We need to keep the heritage our grandparents gave us. We have money, but we are so poor that we have nothing else besides.

Private initiatives to preserve the national heritage cannot stop the mystification of villages. Village fairs are full of plastic and Chinese replicas, and politicians remember about the villages only during elections. What can we do to fix this?

We are powerless against this steamroller trampling our traditions under foot. In order for their voice to be heard, peasants need to organize themselves into associa-

It is not us who will save the village. The village will save us!”

tions – especially the guildsmen, they should put an end to this mockery where they keep their hands outstretched for some pens, a map and a badge to wear on their chests. Without the authentic craftsman and the peasant who has worked the land with his own hands, there can be no rural tourism. This type of tourism needs to work together with our traditional games, our traditional foods and drinks. But our voice can only be heard if we associate. The authorities are lying to us each year. People who simply cannot get enough of the fame and the money become our rulers. And this is the problem, this is the drama. We allow ourselves be trampled under foot, and our children and nephews stand to lose because of this. How should we respond to the fact that our children are bombarded by digitally processed images? This truncated information hinders creativity. There are kids who come to my camp and they don’t know how to play. They can only post comments or send messages on the phone.

You are an artist. The creative act stimulates the ego, but the measure is different for everyone. Where do you stand in terms of self-pride?

I would like to get rid of self-pride because it is not good for me. Self-pride can be harmful if it is not within reason. I have the pride of the peasant, left forgotten in a village, who has worked all his life with his hands, the pride of the peasant still grinding away, who thinks our local tomatoes are the best, that our local milk is good, that our local eggs are good. I’m referring to those people that are invisible to the public eye, who sing their sorrows, who cry on the field, they are the people who enjoy their simple lives to the fullest.

I would like to get closer and closer to this model, to renounce all vainglory.

You always talk about how the inheritance that parents leave for the children should be their education. How do you see the Romanian educational system? Would you have liked to be a teacher?

I am a teacher whether I want it or not. 500 kids come to my camp every year. But I believe more in apprenticeship than in today’s educational system. With the risk of being accused of naivety, I think apprenticeship is what makes one a man.

I had the opportunity to be near pottery masters and I realize now that that is the best education one can have. I learned to mop the floor, kneading the clay, centering it on the pottery wheel, and then firing it. I learned to be patient, I learned that I need to work for success.

But today’s educational system is stuck in the times of Communism, with the mistakes being underlined with a red pen. They teach us things we don’t need to know and they don’t even teach us how to work. Diplomas are handed out on a treadmill. I can’t brag with my diploma because I don’t have one, but I have done my apprenticeship for 7 years.

We learn something from each person we meet. What did you learn from your compatriots that now comprise the Romanian diaspora?

I learned two things: what to do and what not to do. I’ve been invited several times to many places such as Brussels, Strasbourg, Sweden etc. in order to engage with the Romanian diaspora and I found strong communities everywhere. I saw churches packed with diasporans, while in Romania I saw empty churches. I saw the Romanian youths abroad in traditional clothing, while in Romania I saw the youths wearing Louis Vuitton and Gucci. I see a lot of unity and love in the diaspora, I see them meet up on Sundays at banquets, and in Romania I see people fighting for a handful of land.

But I’ve also seen diasporans who have left the country in search of a better life and who have forgotten their native language. They are ashamed of their origins!

I was part of an official delegation and someone told me that it would be better if our hosts didn’t learn we were Romanians. There are two categories of diasporans: one category is madly missing their country, and the other category has been put asleep by the money. But I think they will wake up, because the majority of diasporans are ambassadors of Romania who won’t forget where they were born. A lot of foreigners have crossed my doorstep after seeing movies about Romania.

Daniel Les is a complete product. He’s made masterpieces, he has a marketing and PR strategy, he has a business side. Aren’t you afraid of getting stuck in a rut? Aren’t you afraid that you’ll lose the connection with the land?

I am afraid. I am in danger because of this commercial image that a lot of people attribute to me is suffocating me. Buses full of tourists come to my place in the Summer and

Am înv\]at dou\ lucruri: 1). cum s\ fac [i, 2)., cum s\ nu fac!

Am fost invitat de mai multe ori, în foarte multe locuri, la Brussels, la Strasbourg, în Suedia... s\ vorbesc cu diaspora român\ [i, peste tot, am g\sit comunit\]i foarte puternice. Am g\sit biserica din diaspora plin\ [i v\d bisericile noastre c\ se golesc de oameni, am v\zut tineri care se îmbrac\ în straie populare [i v\d în România tineri care se îmbrac\ de la Louis Vuitton [i de la Gucci. V\d în diaspora unitate [i iubire, îi v\d cum duminica se întâlnesc la agape [i v\d în România oameni care se ceart\ pentru o palm\ de p\mânt.

Dar am v\zut în diaspora [i oameni care au plecat dup\ un trai mai bun [i care au uitat graiul românesc. Le e ru[ine c\ sunt români!

Eram într-o delega]ie oficial\ în afara României [i cineva mi-a spus: ar fi bine s\ nu se [tie c\ suntem români. Sunt dou\ categorii de diasporeni:unii care mor de dorul ]\rii [i al]ii pe care banii i-au f\cut s\ „a]ipeasc\”. Dar eu cred c\ se vor trezi, pentru c\ majoritatea diasporenilor sunt ambasadori ai României care nu uit\ unde s-au n\scut. Mul]i str\ini miau c\lcat pragul dup\ ce au v\zut filmule]e cu România noastr\.

Daniel Le[ e un produs complet. Are oper\, marketing, PR [i business. Nu î]i e fric\ de rutin\? Nu î]i e fric\ c\ vei pierde leg\tura cu p\mântul?

Ba da! {i sunt în pericol. Tocmai aceast\ imagine comercial\, pe care mult\ lume mi-o atribuie, m\ sufoc\. Vara îmi vin autocare cu turi[ti [i îmi dau seama c\, dac\ nu m\ voi opri, m\ voi „dilua”! Dar ]in leg\tura cu duhovnicul meu, am grij\, în primul rând, de sufletul meu [i îmi aplic, în fiecare an, un „tratament”. M\ desprind de confortul meu [i m\ duc singur, eu cu mine, descul] prin Maramure[. F\r\ bani [i f\r\ telefon mobil. Ultima dat\ am rezistat 9 zile. Ca s\ nu uit\m c\ noi suntem, de fapt, fiin]e spirituale care locuim într-un trup, din când în când ar trebui s\ avem grij\ [i de spiritul nostru. Dup\ dou\ zile de sevraj, când ai nevoie de confortul de acas\, unde tu e[ti bine cu familia ta [i m\nânci ce-]i place, sim]i cam cum e cu foamea! Nu cer[esc niciodat\, fac voluntariat. Îi ajut pe oameni în curte, sparg lemne, car bostani... iar ei m\ invit\ la mas\, ca pe un prieten. Pentru ei tu nu mai e[ti turistul cu ma[in\ scump\ [i aparat foto, e[ti semenul lor, e[ti cel care i-ai ajutat la câmp. {i-atunci, când cineva î]i întinde „[tergariul” [i î]i pune un blid de mâncare în fa]\, î]i d\ o parte din sufletul lui. Am observat la oamenii înduhovnici]i, de peste 80 de ani, c\ sunt împ\ca]i cu ei. Îmi aplic în fiecare an acest tratament [i caut s\ nu pierd leg\tur\ cu p\mântul, cu modul simplu de via]\. Respect o regul\, nu stau mai mult de dou\ zile într-un singur loc, pentru c\ m\ împrietenesc cu oamenii.

Asta fac în fiecare an, ies din confortul meu, ca s\ nu m\ smintesc, s\ nu uit leg\tura cu p\mântul, s\ nu uit s\ vorbesc cu oamenii de lâng\ mine, s\ nu uit s\ ajut. Trebuie s\ ne ocup\m de copiii no[tri, s\-i înv\]\m s\ tr\iasc\ frumos, s\-i ducem acolo unde copiii înc\ mai [tiu s\ se joace, unde seara pot auzi mugetul vacii...

De curând, a venit la mine o echip\ de la National Geographic. Realizau un film despre cele mai frumoase mirosuri din lume [i au ales România ca fiind ]ara cu cel mai frumos miros natural, al ierbii cosite manual. În România densitatea de plante pe metru p\trat este de câteva zeci de ori mai mare decât în alte ]\ri.

În momentul în care ]\ranul bag\ coasa în iarb\ se elibereaz\ un miros unic, cu efecte terapeutice. Am refuzat onorariul pentru filmare, dar am cerut ca în film s\ apar\ de patru ori, mare, denumirea regiunii: Maramure[. {i iam provocat s\-[i aduc\ [ezlongurile, s\ st\m în lanul de iarb\ cosit\.

S\pt\mâna trecut\ am primit o vizit\ de la Ministerul Culturii. Eram propus pe lista Tezaurelor Umane Vii [i le-am spus c\ acele Tezaure Umane Vii mor f\r\ s\ fie b\gate în seam\. Nu apar pe sticl\. Sunt în satul lor [i horesc horele lor de dor. Ei sunt tr\itorii [i p\str\torii tradi]iilor în România.

Nu noi suntem cei care vom salva satul românesc, satul ne va salva pe noi!

M\ rog la bunul Dumnezeu s\-mi dea doar cât pot duce, ca s\ nu m\ smintesc, s\ nu m\ pierd pe mine. I realize I will become “diluted” if I don’t stop. But I keep in touch with my confessor and I take care, most of all, of my soul, which is why I undergo a “treatment” each year. I leave the comfort of my house behind and I walk through Maramure[, barefoot. Last time I lasted 9 days. We should pay attention to our spiritual life from time to time so we don’t forget that, although we live in a body, we are spiritual beings. After two days, withdrawal kicks in and you long for the comfort of your home, where you are together with your family and you can eat what you like. I never beg, I do volunteering. I help locals with gardening, I chop wood, I carry pumpkins etc. and they invite me to dinner, as a friend. In this context, you cease to be the tourist with an expensive car and you become one of them, a friend who helped them with their work. And when someone sets the table and offers you a dish, they give you a part of their soul. I’ve noticed that people who are spiritually mature, over 80 years old, they are at peace. I do this practice each year in order to preserve my connection with the land, with the simple way of life. I follow a rule – I don’t stay for more than two days in the same place because then I become familiar with the people.

This is what I do each year so I don’t go mad, so I don’t lose my connection with the land, so I don’t forget to speak to people, so I don’t forget to help. We need to teach our kids to live beautifully, we need to take them where kids still know how to play, where they can still hear the cow mooing in the evening…

When peasants cut the grass with the sickle, a unique smell ensues, with therapeutical effects. I refused the payment for the filming, but I asked them to mention, in large font, the name of the region, four times: Maramure[. I provoked them to bring their lawn chairs and sit in the field with freshly cut grass.

Last week I received a visit from the Ministry of Culture. I was nominated for the title of Living Thesaurus, and I told them that such people die without being acknowledged. They’re not on TV. They stay in their village and sing their songs. They are those who enact these traditions and preserve them.

We won’t save the village. The village will save us. I pray to God that He gives me only as much as I can handle, so I don’t go mad, so I don’t lose myself.

Robelo is a concept that puts a spotlight on the authentic places in Romania. I know you have a pension. What kind of people are those who cross your doorstep?

I am selective. I can say they are all educated people, from simple folk to ambassadors. Most recently I had the ambassador of Israel as a guest. He stayed for three days and we ate hearth-baked bread. I dressed him up in our traditional clothes and we walked barefoot on the grass. I’ve had a lot of ministers and artists from all countries visit me. Now a group of artists from France are coming, with Rona Hartner, and they are shooting a film. They want to taste the simplicity of the place. I won’t offer them sophisticated dishes, but I will give them Auntie Anne’s baked bread, which we will serve warm, fresh from the oven, with cold pressed oil or sour buffalo milk. And when we eat this together with a salad made with non-GMO tomatoes and we crush a raw onion…

These foods still have a taste!

I will make a big banner which I will install in the marketplace. It will say thus: If you buy from local farmers, you help them keep their children in school. If you buy from the supermarket, you help “that guy” buy another yacht.

I think we should support our local farmers. Their produce is healthier and tastier. The tomatoes in my garden are from the Romanian seed bank, the wheat I use to make my bread is bought from peasants, and the oil I press myself. I have a small press which I use to make my own oil, from sunflower, from walnuts, from pumpkins. I have a small farm, with pigs, and I feed them grass and pumpkins. The taste of this meat is like nothing you can find at the supermarket.

I welcome my guests with my stories, my rooms with rustic décor, with pottery therapy, if you will, I show them how they can make a vase with their own hands. Two weeks ago we had a retreat session, a group of girls came to do yoga and pilates and I made them knead clay with their feet. With some of my guests - I cannot call them tourists – I get so familiar that they help me with the gardening. I get them involved in the traditions.

I would like to leave something behind, a drop of color on life’s painting.

Now, I don’t know if my drop will be paler, shriller, whiter… Townsmen have discovered the village. With your teachings, you take them back in time. What do they take home in the end?

Those who are patient enough to take a break from the rat race will come home with memories and unforgettable stories. For me what is important is not the tourism business per se, but to raise some questions in the minds of those who visit me. If I tell them a story about my grandparents and it gets to their heart, I am satisfied. I need to look after my own soul so that it doesn’t wither away. I’m a missionary, and even if now I’m crying alone, maybe some will hear me. I will continue to shout and I will become even stranger for a lot of people, telling them that it takes very little to live beautifully. Those who cross my doorstep will not become potters, they will not become bakers, they will not get rid of their phones and credit cards, but they will remember that there are beautiful places and beautiful people in Romania.

Did you at any moment feel that your children desired something else? That your family desired something else, maybe to live in the city or abroad? Did you ever feel like leaving Romania? What would you advise your children if they wanted to leave?

I am going through this right now. One of my sons is a Fine Arts graduate. He got married and moved to Cluj, and now he is offering me my third grandson. I’m a grandfather.

My oldest son is still searching for his way. He is interested in monumentalism, he is now working on a scaffold at the Mihail Church in Cluj for the restoration. He’s had a couple of exhibitions, but I want to let him test the waters still. When I was his age, I also wanted to leave Romania, not because I wanted to do better financially, but because I wanted to feel free. However, I realized that the freedom you get from the praised tree is a trap. Here I am free to walk barefoot everywhere without Uncle Johnny asking me what I’m doing on his turf.

I was invited to deliver some lectures in the US, maybe to also relocate there, but I didn’t go. I will never leave Romania. Wherever I

Robelo este un concept care valorific\ locurile autentice din România. {tiu c\ ai o pensiune turistic\. Cei care î]i calc\ pragul, ce fel de oameni sunt?

Mi-am selectat clientela. Pot s\ spun c\ sunt oameni educa]i. De la oameni simpli pân\ la ambasadori. Ultima dat\ l-am avut oaspete pe ambasadorul Israelului. A stat la mine trei zile [i am mâncat pâine f\cut\ pe vatr\. L-am îmbr\cat în straiele noastre române[ti [i am umblat descul]i prin iarb\. Am avut mul]i mini[tri, arti[ti din toate ]\rile, acum vine o trup\ de arti[ti din Fran]a cu Rona Hartner [i vor face un film, profesori... oameni care vor s\ guste simplitatea locului. Nu le ofer mânc\ruri sofisticate, dar le ofer pâine f\cut\ de tanti Mari]a pe care o mânc\m cald\, scoas\ din cuptor, cu ulei presat la rece sau cu lapte acru de ghiboli]\ (n.r. iaurt de bivoli]\)... [i când facem o salat\ de ro[ii din gr\din\, nemodificate genetic [i zdrobim o ceap\ crud\...

Aceste mânc\ruri mai au înc\ gust!

Am s\ fac un banner mare pe care am s\-l pun în pia]\ [i am s\ scriu a[a: Dac\ cumperi de la un produc\tor local, îi aju]i s\ î[i ]in\ copiii la [coal\. Dac\ cumperi de la supermarket îl aju]i pe „\la” s\-[i mai ia un yaht.

Cred c\ ar trebui s\ sprijinim produc\torii locali. Produsele lor sunt mai s\n\toase [i mai gustoase. Ro[iile mele sunt din semin]ele de la banca de semin]e române[ti, grâul din care fac pâinea îl cump\r de la ]\rani, iar uleiul îl presez singur. Am o pres\ mic\ [i îmi produc singur uleiul, din floarea soarelui, din miez de nuc\, din bostan. Am o mic\ ferm\ de porci [i îi hr\nesc cu iarb\ [i dovleci. Gustul acestei c\rni nici nu seam\n\ cu cea de la supermarket.

Îmi primesc oaspe]ii cu pove[tile mele, cu od\ile decorate rustic, cu terapie, dac\ vre]i, de ol\rit, le ar\t cum pot s\-[i f\ureasc\ cu mâinile lor vase de lut. Acum dou\ s\pt\mâni am avut un retreat, un grup de fete care au venit s\ fac\ yoga [i pilates [i le-am pus s\ fr\mânte lutul sub t\lpi. Cu unii din oaspe]ii mei, pentru c\ nu îi pot numi turi[ti, m\ împrietenesc [i m\ ajut\ în gr\din\ la munca câmpului... îi implic în rânduiala s\teasc\.

A[ vrea s\ las ceva în urma mea, o pat\ de culoare pe tabloul vie]ii. Acum, nu [tiu cum va fi pata mea de culoare, mai pal\, mai strident\, mai alb\... Or\[enii au descoperit satul. Prin cursurile pe care le faci, îi intorci în timp. La reîntoarcerea acas\, ce iau cu ei?

Cei care au r\bdare s\ se opreasc\ pu]in din alerg\rur\ se întorc acas\ cu amintiri [i pove[ti de neuitat. Al]ii, î[i fac selfie-uri, iar la sfår[itul zilei nu mai [tiu ce au v\zut. Pentru mine nu e important\ activitatea de turism pe care o fac, e important s\ trezesc ni[te semne de întrebare celor care m\ viziteaz\. Dac\ o poveste pe care o spun despre bunicii mei ajunge la sufletul lor, eu m\ simt împlinit. Eu trebuie s\ am grij\ ca sufletul meu s\ nu moar\. Fac apostolat [i, chiar dac\ acum strig în pustie, s-ar putea s\ fie oameni care s\ aib\ urechi [i s\ aud\. Voi continua s\ strig [i voi deveni [i mai ciudat pentru mul]i, spunândule c\ se poate tr\i bine cu foarte pu]in. Cei care îmi trec pragul nu vor deveni olari, nu vor face pâine pe vatr\, nu vor renun]a la telefoane [i carduri, dar î[i vor aduce aminte c\ exist\ în România locuri [i oameni frumo[i.

A fost vreun moment când ai sim]it c\ copiii t\i doresc altceva? C\ familia ta dore[te altceva? Poate un trai la ora[ sau în afara ]\rii? Te-ai gândit, m\car o dat\, s\ pleci din România? Ce sfat le-ai da fiilor t\i dac\ [i-ar dori s\ plece?

M\ confrunt cu aceast\ problem\. Am un fecior care a terminat Artele Plastice la Timi[oara, s-a c\s\torit [i s-a mutat la Cluj, iar acum îmi aduce al III-lea nepot. Sunt bunic.

Cel mare „se caut\” înc\. E monumentalist, lucreaz\ pe schel\ la biserica Mihail din Cluj, la restaurare. A avut mai multe expozi]ii, dar îl mai las un pic s\ încerce marea cu degetul. {i eu, când am fost de vârsta lui, am vrut s\ fug din România, nu ca s\-mi fie mai bine din punct de vedere material, am vrut s\ m\ simt liber! Dar mi-am dat seama c\ ]\rile poleite cu aur au o libertate înc\tu[at\! Aici sunt liber s\ umblu descul] pe toate t\p[anele acestea f\r\ s\ zic\ badea Gheorghe, ce cau]i la mine în gr\din\.

Am fost invitat s\ ]in ni[te cursuri în America, poate chiar s\ r\mân, dar nu am plecat. Nu am s\ plec niciodat\ din România. Oriunde a[ fi, dup\ trei zile mi se face dor de acas\. Scot p\mânt de la doi metri [i fac oale. Iar în acest timp cânt [i dansez [i m\ bucur când îmi iese o lucrare bun\.

Copiii mei, dac\ vor în]elege – [i îi las pe ei s\ aleag\ – vor fi tot în Romania. Eu am avut parte de o educa]ie aspr\, am f\cut oale pe roat\ de la [ase-[apte ani. Paradisul meu a murit la nou\ ani, când comuni[tii ne-au stricat atelierul [i ne-au mutat la ora[, la bloc... [i când am g\sit gara am fugit înapoi la ]ar\... m-au g\sit la bunici.

Acum sunt bine. Am o „femeie” care m\ în]elege, mi-a f\cut copii, m\ spal\ [i îmi d\ de mâncare. Ea are grij\ de mine. Când plec în str\in\tate o iau cu mine, ca s\ nu m\ pierd peacolo. Ultima dat\ m-a chemat cineva de la Ikea, în Suedia, s\ o înv\] pe so]ia lui s\ fac\ oale pe roat\. Am fost în Koreea de Sud s\ fac o reclam\ pentru LG, cu farfuriile mele din Maramure[ul istoric... dar sunt atât de stângaci în ce prive[te tehnica... Dac\ nu a[ avea-o pe doamna mea lâng\ mine, a[ fi pierdut! E femeia care m\ trage de mânec\ [i îmi spune ajunge, e femeia care îmi spune trebuie s\ te odihne[ti, care duce greul scriptelor [i care m\ las\ s\ visez. Dac\ am reu[it, e datorit\ ei!

Eu m-am însurat cu o sfânt\, care a fugit cu mine când avea 17 ani. {i a „pl\tit” pre]ul pentru c\ a fost fat\ de director de banc\, fat\ educat\ care a fugit cu un olar f\r\ viitor! {i a crezut în mine. Dac\ ast\zi am succes, am datorit\ ei, a femeii care nu vrea s\ apar\ pe „sticl\” [i care m\ suport\ de 28 de ani. Nu sunt o persoan\ u[or de suportat!

Cât la sut\ te consideri: artist, antreprenor, ]\ran?

Sunt 99% transpira]ie [i 1% inspira]ie.

Eu nu sunt artist! Eu sunt un copil harnic de la ]ar\. Sunt o unealt\ care se las\ folosit\. Dac\ m\ las folosit de inspira]ia divin\ pot face lucruri frumoase.

Cât la sut\ sunt ]\ran?

Sângele meu este amestecat cu tot ce înseamn\ satul meu natal, cu bunicii, cu vecinii [i pove[tile lor. Am umblat descul] prin iarb\, am mâncat [tiule]i frip]i în jar, am mâncat pâine cu untur\, cu „vegeta” [i boia pe deasupra [i am în]eles ce înseamn\ tradi]ie.

Satul românesc a avut parte de mult\ suferin]\ [i cred c\ „suferin]a” ar trebui s\ fie brandul nostru de ]ar\. M\ consider ]\ran, nu mi-e fric\ de munc\, nu mi-e fric\ de suferin]\, mi-e

fric\ numai de bunul Dumnezeu!

Guvernan]ii încearc\ s\ ne intimideze cu legile lor, dar eu r\mân ancorat la filonul autentic. Am avut un bunic care a crescut zece copii [i un alt bunic care era considerat în]eleptul satului. Ei mi-au f\cut o educa]ie aleas\, ]inându-m\ de mân\, plimbându-m\ prin p\duri [i spunându-mi pove[ti cu tâlc. Unul din bunicii mei, care mi-a p\strat toate caietele de la [coal\, mi-a scris pe verso-ul unei pagini:

Dragu’ mo[ului, când ti vi-i duce la ora[, [-or pune domnii pe mas\ un blid de cire[e amare, tu s\ fii ultimul care s\ întinzi mâna. Dac\ ti-i duce undeva, nu te baga în fa]\, stai mai la urm\, te-or pofti ei.

La mas\ primul era servit bunicul, apoi tata, apoi ceilal]i b\trâni, bunica, mama, iar ultimii erau servi]i copiii. {i am înv\]at s\ îmi a[tept rândul!

Ast\zi, copiii no[tri trebuie s\ m\nânce go, I start missing home after three days. I get mud from two meters under and I make vases. And in the meantime I sing and dance and I’m joyful when I make a good work.

If my kids will understand this - and I will let them make their own choices - they will remain in Romania. I received a tough education, I have been making vases on the pottery wheel since I was 6-7 years old. My paradise died when I was nine years old, when the Communists destroyed our workshop and forced us to relocate to the city, in an apartment building. As soon as I found where the train station was, I ran back to the countryside… They found me at my grandparents’.

Now I’m alright. I have a woman who understands me, she gave me two children, she takes care of me, gives me food… When I go abroad I take her with me so I don’t get lost. Most recently someone from Ikea Sweden invited me to teach his wife pottery. I’ve also flown to South Korea for an LG advertisement, together with my traditional plates from the historic Maramure[ region. But I’m so awkward with technology… If I didn’t have my lady with me, I would be lost! She is the woman who reminds me to rest when I’ve done enough, she is the woman who does the bookkeeping so I can keep dreaming. If I succeeded, it’s because of her!

I married a saint who ran away with me when she was 17 years old. And she paid a hefty price for this, since she was bank manager’s daughter, an educated girl who ran away with a potter without a future! But she believed in me. If today I am successful, it is because of this woman who wishes to appear neither on the big screen nor on the small screen, and who has been putting up with me for 28 years. I’m not easy to put up with!

What percentage do you consider yourself to be an artist, an entrepreneur, a peasant?

I’m 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. I’m not an artist. I’m a hard-working country kid. I’m an instrument that can create beautiful things in the hands of divine inspiration.

What percentage am I peasant? In my blood lies wholly the spirit of my native village, my grandparents, my neighbours and their stories… I’ve walked barefoot on the grass, I’ve eaten ember-roasted corn, I’ve eaten bread with lard, with “vegeta” and paprika on top, and I’ve understood what tradition is.

The Romanian village suffered a great deal and I think suffering should be our national brand. I consider myself to be a peasant, I’m not afraid of work or suffering. I’m only afraid of God.

The rulers are trying to intimidate us with their laws, but I stand by tradition. I had a grandfather who raised ten children and another grandfather who was considered to be the wisest in the village. They have offered me a royal education, taking me by the hand, walking me through the woods and telling me morality tales. One of my grandfathers, who has kept all my school notebooks, wrote on the backside of one page:

My dear, when you’ll go to the city and you’ll be offered a bowl of sour cherries, be the last one to reach out for them. Wherever you go, don’t go in front, wait in the back and they’ll invite you to come.

When eating with the family, the first one to be served was my grandfather, then came my father, then the other elders, my grandmother, my mom, and then came the kids. This is how I learned to wait for my turn.

Today’s kids have to be the first to eat, they need to have the most expensive phone… We are not allowed to upset them because then the child protection services come… I remember when my father smacked me on the backside with a belt and that was for a reason. I’m not a supporter of educating by punishment, but today we have no education. And to answer your question, I’m not an artist. I don’t consider myself to be one. And my woman is the entrepreneur, because she is a bank manager’s daughter.

I’m a potter!

Did you at any moment felt like giving up?

I would be a hypocrite to not admit that there were such moments when I wanted to give up everything and start traveling the world.

But I felt that if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to show my face to the Creator, knowing that he gave me this talent and I wasted it. If I fed my ego, I would live a pleasurable life, but I would not die at peace.

I still believe in the Romanian traditional village like a madman. I believe in the crafts

primii, s\ aib\ cel mai scump telefon. Nu avem voie s\-i sup\r\m pentru c\ te treze[ti cu protec]ia copilului... jordeaua pe care o primeam la fund o ]in minte [i ast\zi [i [tiu de ce a fost dat\. Nu sunt adeptul educa]iei cu b\taia, dar ce se întâmpl\ ast\zi nu poate fi numit educa]ie. Ca s\ î]i r\spund la întrebare, nu sunt artist! Nu m\ consider. Antreprenor e „femeia mea” pentru c\ e fiic\ de director de banc\!

Eu sunt olar!

Ai avut vreun moment când ai vrut s\ renun]i?

A[ fi ipocrit dac\ a[ spune c\ nu! Am avut momente când am dat cu toate de p\mânt. Am vrut s\ renun] la tot [i s\ m\ apuc de excursii [i de plimbat prin lume.

Dar am sim]it c\ nu voi avea cum s\ m\ înf\]i[ez la sfâr[itul vie]ii în fa]a creatorului [tiind c\ mi-a dat talantul (n.r. talent, pild\) [i l-am irosit. Dac\ a[ hr\ni egoismul din mine, a[ tr\i mai bine, dar nu a[ muri împ\cat.

Cred, în continuare, nebune[te în satul românesc, cred nebune[te în me[te[ugurile care înc\ se mai practic\ [i cred c\ se mai poate tr\i frumos în România! Faptul c\ diminea]a m\ trezesc într-o cas\ veche de 200 de ani, c\ m\ îmbrac în straie populare [i îmi beau ceaiul cu „femeia mea”, pentru mine asta înseamn\ via]\!

Celelalte, succesul, diplomele... sunt bune la ceva... nu [tiu la ce, dar nimic nu ajut\ atât de mult cât ajut\ „rânduiala”.

Ultima întrebare: Horinc\ bei?

O, doamne! Cum nu? Beu cu m\sur\!

A fost la mine o nutri]ionist\ care mi-a spus:nu ar fi mai bine s\ nu bei deloc? Auzi întrebare! În Maramure[, când se na[te copilul, tata pune de-o parte horinca pentru nunt\. Cu cât st\ mai mult, cu atât e mai bun\. Sper s\ nu ne-o interzic\ [i pe asta domnii de la Bucure[ti.

Am avut anul trecut ni[te b\ie]i de la Canal Arte [i i-am dus la o „horincie”. Erau mai multe feluri de horinc\ acolo [i le-au „gustulit” pe t\te. {-o fost un pic mai greu! that are still being practiced and I still think one can live well in Romania. The fact that in the morning I wake up in a 200 year old house, that I dress in traditional clothes and drink tea with my woman, this is what life means to me!

All the other things such as success, diplomas… They are good for something, I don’t know what for, but they aren’t half as good as tradition is.

Final question: do you drink “horinca” (e.n., twice distilled plum brandy)?

Of course, how could I not?

I drink responsibly!

A nutritionist visited me and she asked –wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t drink at all? Now look at this question! In Maramure[, when a child is born, the father saves some “horinca” for the wedding. The more it is left to mature, the better it tastes! I hope the rulers from Bucharest aren’t thinking of banning this tradition as well.

I had some guys from Canal Arte visit me last year and I took them to a “horinca” place. There were lots of varieties there and they tried them all. It was a bit hard.